
Class _Xl^c__ 

Bnnk ,66 5 HS 



/ /A^.'if 



P 



i.Xr ADSB^^SS 



ON 






OF 



DE W^ITT CLINTON, 

DIILIVX:BZn> AT KASHVUiUB, SXARCH 11, 1828, 

AT THE REaUEST OF THE 

©rantr Shatter oC STenucsisce. 

BV WILLIAM GJBBrs HTTivt, 

iSItsaAL ORAKD Marshal or the oBWEnAL orand chapter of the TT^fJTED ITATEJ. 

AND OKANO HIOH fBIXST OF THE QBAND CHAFTSB OF TE.SNJES9BE. 









<^^' 



FBINTBO BT JOHN 
18*8. 



%t \%%\ 






GRAND ROYAL ARCH CHAPTER OFTENNESSEE. 
At a special iiicetin^^, held at the Masonic Hall, in INjashville, on Monday cve- 
nintr, Mnr<li 10; li, IS-iS.the f )llonino: resniutions were unanimously aHoiitfcl, viz. 

BcsoIbciI, That the members of this rand Chapter, individually, and collectively, sympa- 
thise with the inastiiiic l'r;\tprnitv tlimnpliout the union, in the universal grief for the loss of 
that pride and ornaint-nt of the cVafl, the M. E. I)R WITT CLh\"i'().\,General Grand High 
Priest of the 'General (Jrand Itoyal \rch (,'haptei of the United States. 

Resnlced, That the members of this Grand '. 'hapter wear masonic mourning for the term 
of one month, in testimony of their respect for the memory of the illustiious deceased. 

Re>n>(i-eil, 'I'liat it be recommondcJ to the subordinate chapters under this jurisdiction, to 
manifesta similar testimonial of respect. 

Jip-iolieit, That a public tribute be paid to the memory of the deceased agreeably to the 
arrangements suggested by the committee appointed for that purpose. 

Tio lilLiwiiiu;, .>ti< n (I I'v CoMip.iiii'ni Dillaimnty. was un:iniriiously adopted. 

Whereas the death of the Most Excellent Grand King, EDWARD H. STEELE, has 
been niadi- known to tliis tJrand ''liapler, and the members thereof knowing his worth as 
a man and a mason, and feeling the deepest, and most heart-felt sorrow for his loss— there- 
fore, as a manifestation (>f respect for the memory of the deceased, 

Re-iolred, That the members of this Grand Chapter wear crape on their left armfortbe 
space of thirty days. 

Resniccd, That the members of the subordinate chapters, in this state, be requested to 
do the same. 



At an adjourned meeting-, held as above, on Tuesday evening, March 11th, 
1828, the following preamble and resolutions, offer^jd by companion Dillabunty, 
were unaninmusly adopted. 

The members of this Grand Chapter, having listened with great satisfaction to the ex- 
eellent address delivered by the .M. K. (JramI High I'riest Wm. G. Hunt, in pursuance of a 
request of tins <;raiid ( 'hapter, on the character and services of our illustrious companion 
DE WITT CLI\T<J\, .M. E. Grand High I'riest of the United States: Therefore, 

Resulveil, That he be requested to furnish to the Grand Secretary of this Grand Chapter 
a copy of the same for publication. 

Re.olveU f'lirihei , That he is entitled to the thanks of this Grand Chapter for the able 
manner in which he discharged the duties iniposed upon him in this behalf. 

CHARLE!? COOPER, Grand Secretary. 



ADDRESS. 



Companions and Brethren, 

It is among the happiest tendencies of the venera- 
ble order to which we are attached, to teach us the 
vahie of departed worth, and to inspire us with a suit- 
able veneration for the illustrious dead. The primary 
objects of Masonry are, indeed, to smooth the rugged 
road of life, to remove the asperities of the human 
character, and to increase, at once, the usefulness and 
happmess of man. But these objects are sought 
through the influence of example as well as of pre- 
cept, and no where is example so j)owerfldly effica- 
cious as in the recollection and the history of those 
who are none. It is not till the whole career of life 
is run, that the character can be considered as unal- 
terably fixed, or its real merits can be fairly appreci- 
ated. It is not till the grave has closed over its vic- 
tim, and buried forever, with his mouldering remains, 
the jealousies, and rivalships, and petty hostilities, by 
which all are surrounded while living, that impartial 
justice can be done to the most illustrious benefactor 
of mankind. It is not till the inunortal spirits of the 



6 

good and great have taken their upward flight to tlie 
scenes of their uUimate triumph and reward, that the 
brilliancy of their course on earth can be clearly dis- 
cerned, and the clouds which had obscured the full- 
orbed splendor of their fame can be thoroughly and 
finally dispersed. 

Masonry, it is true, teaches us to regard all man- 
kind as upon a level, and claims, for all, the enjoy- 
ment of equal rights and privileges. She respects 
not the accidental or arbitrary distinctions of wealth 
or rank, but looks at personal merit only, and very 
properly inculcates the lesson " that he who faithfully 
performs his duty, even in a subordinate or private 
station, is as jusdy entided to esteem and respect, as 
he who is invested with supreme authority." Her 
favorite and most appropriate sphere of operation is 
mdeed in the retired circle, in the cultivation of the 
social affections, the encouragement of domestic vir- 
tues and the promotion of individual happiness. The 
humblest citizen, who, by his industry, frugality and 
cheerfulness, gives comfort and support to a dependent 
family, and irradiates with his virtues the contracted 
sphere in which he moves, is as truly an object of 
masonic regard, as the most exalted individual on the 
catalogue of fame. When the obscure, but amiable 
and useful parent, relative or friend is taken away from 
the little circle by which he was respected and be- 
loved. Masonry drops the sympaUietic tear and ten- 
ders the balm of consolation, with as much sincerity 
and ardor, as when called to lament the loss of the 



iiio8t illustrious l)enefactor of our rare. Yet it would 
be absurd to suppose, that the same degree of import- 
ance would be given to the event, in the one case, as 
in the other. It is in the power of us all to he u|)right 
and virtuous citizens, and to secure the affections of 
our neighbors and friends ; but it is the lot only of a 
favored few, to be able to shed a lustre on the age in 
which they live, to be known and esteemed through- 
out the habitable globe, and eminently to contribute, 
by their talents and services, to the improvement of 
the general condition of man. Unfortunately too, 
those brilliant and rarely gifted minds, designed and 
calculated to enlighten and to bless, are sometimes 
perverted to purposes of mischief and employed as 
instruments to blight and destroy. The same orb of 
day, which imparts a genial warmth, and by its tem- 
perate influence vivifies and sustains, inflicts also a 
mortal blow — parches and consumes. The same 
wind, which wafts the vessel on its way, and impels it 
rapidly towards its destined port, sometimes impedes 
its progress, excites the turbulence of the waves, and 
drives it onward to inevitable destruction. So like- 
wise the same intellectual powers, which, rightly em- 
ployed, might add to the dignity and welfare of man, 
when unattended by moral principle, exercise a bale- 
ful and pernicious influence. Amidst therefore the 
whirlwinds of passion, the conflicting elements of 
pride and ambition, and the raging billows of faction 
and of war. how seldom can wo discern those tower- 
ing and brilliant minds, upon which the eye of th<^ 



8 

patriot and philanthropist may repose with uniningled 
delight ! Thinly scattered at remote distances through- 
out the range of the mental vision, they appear 

" Like specks of azure in a clouded sky, 
Like sunny islands in a stormy sea." 

No wonder then, that when these master-spirits of 
the age are taken from the sphere of their influence 
and cut off" in the midst of their usefulness, the shock 
is felt and the loss deplored — not by a family circle 
only — not by the inhabitants of a village or a city — 
but by a nation and by the world. On such occa- 
sions surely. Masonry cannot fail to participate in the 
general sorrow, nor can she be backward in the exer- 
cise of those sympathies, which are always ready for 
the consolation of the afflicted. Sometimes too, as at 
present, Masonry herself is directly concerned, being 
called to mourn the loss of her own distinguished vo- 
taries and friends. 

We are assembled to-day, companions, brethren 
and fellow-citizens, in obedience to the impulse of 
feelings alike natural and honorable, to mingle our 
expressions of heartfelt regret with those of the whole 
masonic family and of every class and description of 
people in this extensive republic — nay, of every friend 
to virtue, science, and human improvement through- 
out the world — for the unexpected loss of one who 
was not only the pride and ornament of our institution, 
but an eminent blessing to his country and to man- 
kind. The unusual suddenness of the shock renders 
it the more peculiarly and painfully severe. While 



our liojies, with regard (o liis future usefulness and 
fame, are yet glowing with more than ordinary hril- 
liancy and warmth, tliey are, in an instant, extinguish- 
ed forever. No preparatory warning precedes the fatal 
hlow; no gathering cloud portends the approaching 
desolation. One moment De Witt Clinton stands 
firm and erect in the vigor of healtli, and the eyes of 
his grateful country are fixed upon him with pride, 
exultation, and hope. But the next moment he is 
gone, and the eyes of his country are suffused with 
tears. He is gone, and learning deplores the loss of 
an efficient advocate and powerful patron. He is 
gone, and public improvement is deprived of its most 
ardent and successflil promoter. He is gone, and 
Masonry mourns for the most prominent and distin- 
guished among heu champions and friends-. His fa- 
mily are overwhelmed with the desolating blow. His 
wife, rendered frantic by the shock, finds only in the 
wildness of delirium those hopes and consolations, 
which reason and truth are unable to afibrd. His 
neighbors rush forward to the spot, with breathless 
solicitude, to learn the extent of the calamity. A whole 
city is instantly electrified, and animated with a single 
all-absorbing interest, and the anxious throng, forget- 
ting their individual cares and deserting their ordina- 
ry pursuits, are concerned only for the general loss. 
The legislature of the great state, over which he pre- 
sided with such distinguished ability, and whose in- 
terests he promoted with such unrivalled success, 
pause in the midst of their public labors, and join the 



10 

chorus of universal lamentation. Opposing parties 
drop their weapons of contention and are emulous 
only to be foremost in expressions of respect for the 
memory of the deceased. The melancholy intelli- 
gence travels with unexampled rapidity, and reaches 
in every direction the extremities of our republic in 
anticipation of the ordinary channels of information. 
Every where it is received with the same poignant 
regret, and every where spontaneous and unequivocal 
bursts of feehng attest the severity and keemiess of 
the loss. We too, my friends, remotely situated as 
we are from the place of his residence and the imme- 
diate theatre of his useful labors, have left, for a time, 
our business and our pleasures, and have come up 
together to this temple of the Most High, here to en- 
joy the melancholy satisfaction of expressing our sor- 
row, and of uniting in the contemplation of the cha- 
racter and services of him whom we mourn. Let us 
then, in pursuance of this object, take a brief and ra- 
pid survey of the eventful and valuable life of the il- 
lustrious deceased, and dwell, for a few moments, on 
those prominent traits, which elevated him so far 
above the mass of his contemporaries. 

De Witt Clinton was born in Orange county, in the 
state of New- York, in March, 176a His family was 
distinguished and highly respected. His father was 
a major general in the army of the revolution, and 
his uncle, the venerable George Clinton, fdled, suc- 
cessively, the important offices of governor of the state 
of New- York and vice president of the United States. 



11 

Youno De Wilt roccivod the rudiments of a classical 
education at Columbia College, in the city of New- 
York, being the first student who entered that semi- 
nary after the conclusion of the revolutionary war. 
Having obtained the honors of his Alma Mater^ he 
entered with assiduity upon the study of the law, and, 
in due season, was licensed to practise that profession. 
Other pursuits however soon attracted his attention, 
and prevented him from prosecuting his original de- 
sign. At an early age he was appointed secretary of 
his uncle, then governor of New-York, and entered, 
with characteristic ardor and signal ability, into the 
pohtical discussions of the day. Af er the retirement 
of his uncle from the executive office, he was himself 
elected, without opposition, in his twentyeighth year, 
a member of the legislature from the city of New- 
York. Here he commenced that career of practical 
utility and steady devotion to die cause of science and 
benevolence, for which he was afterwards so pre-emi- 
nently distinguished. Already regarded as the leader 
and most efficient member of a great political party, 
he was not however so blinded by zeal for die int(Tests 
of his friends as to lose sight of the claims of j)liilan- 
thropy and learning, but, by directing a large portion 
of his attention to these important considerations, he 
was the instrument of much good to others, and added 
greatly to his popularity and influence. In the year 
180*2 he was elected to the senate of the United States 
and was eminently distinguished as an able and effi- 
cient member of that body. For many years he oc- 



12 

cupied with signal ability and success the very im- 
portant and responsible office of mayor of the great 
and growing city of New- York. He was afterwards 
again placed in the legislature of his native state, and 
was, as before, the zealous and powerful friend of the 
interests of education and benevolence, urging the 
patronage of schools and colleges, the incorporation 
of valuable societies and the support of hospitals and 
other charitable institutions. Here too he took the 
lead in behalf of that splendid and magnificent system 
of internal improvement, the success of which, — main- 
ly attributable to his indefatigable and well directed 
exertions, — has so largely contributed to the prospe- 
rity and glory of the state of New- York, enkindled 
the fire of emulation in other states, and reflected a 
lustre upon the names of all who were active in sup- 
port of its adoption. In 1811 he was chosen lieuten- 
ant governor of New- York, and in 181*2 he was nomi- 
nated, and zealously supported by a portion of the 
people, as a candidate for die office of president of the 
United States. In 1817, he was elected, by an almost 
unanimous vote, to the elevated station of governor of 
the state of New- York, and, with the exception of a 
single term of two years, during which he declined a 
re-election, he continued to occupy that station with 
unrivalled dignity, utility, and splendor, actively and 
laboriously devoted to the faithful discharge of its 
arduous and responsible duties, till the hour of his 
sudden and melancholy exit. During his active life, 
he was a prominent and useftil member, and often an 



13 

efHcient officer, of many literary^ scientific and benevo- 
lent institutions, of some of whicli he was the founder; 
and, in the several orders of masonry and knighthood, 
he filled, from time to time, all the most important and 
dignified stations. 

Mr Clinton possessed a mind of the highest order — - 
original, powerful and capacious — disciplined by ha- 
bits of patient and laborious investigation and pro- 
found reflecfion. His conceptions were clear, rapid, 
and vigorous ; and his judgment was sound and ac- 
curate. He, like Washington, was distinguished ra- 
ther for solidity of understanding than for brilliancy of 
imagination — rather for practical good sense than for 
the lofty and excursive soarings of fancy. His exami- 
nation ofet'cry subject presented to his notice, was 
thorough, critical, and severe. His opinions were 
maturely and deliberately formed, and his reasoning 
in their defence, if not always convincing, was at least 
forcible, logical and clear. His views were enlarged, 
liberal, and enlightened, his designs bold and exten- 
sive, and his plans for their execution practical and 
sagacious. He possessed, in an eminent degree, that 
courage of the cabinet which has been justly said to be 
no less rare, and often more important than diat of die 
field, and unifonnlv evinced a fearless and nerseverine 
spirit, which no difficulties could discourage, no ob- 
stacles subdue. When convinced of tlie importance 
and practicability of an object, and once resolved up- 
on its attainment, he marched boldly and resolutely 
forward, rather animated than depressed by difficul- 
ties, dangers and impediments. In the transaction of 



14 

business he was prompt, decisive and energetic. He 
was accurate and minute in his attention to details, 
and displayed no less facility and correctness in the 
execution of his plans, than originality and boldness 
in their conception. 

As a politician, Mr Clinton was early connected 
with the great party in his native state, which had 
long borne the name of his family, and of which he 
afterwards became the rallying point and the head. 
How far his judgment was biassed and his opinions 
affected by the partialities and prejudices invariably 
connected with party feeling, it is perhaps impossible 
to decide. The peculiar relation in which he stood 
towards a great portion of the people, \yh9Jiad been 
closely attached to the principles anc Vrn p imiomo of his 
venerable uncle, and the zeal with which, in the hey- 
day of youthflil ardor, and under the influence of a 
natural and honorable family and personal attach- 
ment, he entered upon the defence of those principles 
and the support of those fortunes, w ere certainly emi- 
nently calculated to exercise a permanent influence 
over his political opinions and prospects. Yet, ma- 
king due allowance for these peculiar circumstances, 
without undertaking to decide upon the merits of the 
controversies, which have long and violently agitated 
the state, between his friends and opponents, we may 
confidently assert, that, notwithstanding the powerful 
temptations by which he was surrounded, it could ne- 
ver be justly said of him, amidst all the collisions and 
conflicts of the day, that he 

narrowed his mind, 
Aod to party gave up what was meant for inankiod. 



15 

On the contrary, he was fully aware of the important 
truth, and acted under that conviction, that, whatever 
temporary influence may he derived from mere party 
association, any reputation, thus acquired, must be 
ephemeral and local, and totally unworthy the eflbrt 
of any man of high and honorable ambition. He 
sought therefore to build liis fame upon a more sub- 
stantial and durable foundation. He sunk the cha- 
racter of the politician in that of the statesman, and, 
while he labored for the promotion of his party and 
their cause, he labored still more intensely for the inte- 
rests of his country and of mankind. By this course 
he secured, at once, immediate popularity and perma- 
nent renown. The one is attested by the remarkable 
fact, that, notwithstanding all the contests of party 
and the ever-varying results with which they are at- 
tended, he never failed of obtaining his election, when- 
ever he was^ candidate for any office in the gift of 
the people of New- York. The other is abundandy 
proved by the universal and spontaneous admission 
of all ranks and parties, and by the anxious solicitude 
with which his warmest polidcal opponents now press 
forward to proclaim his pre-eminent usefulness and 
worth. 

As a scholar, Mr Clinton occupied the most eleva- 
ted ground. His reading was extensive, various, well- 
directed, and profitable. His ready and capacious 
memory enabled him to store up vast funds of learn- 
ing, which were subservient to his call whenever re- 
quired. Abstruse scientific investigations occupied a 



IG 

portion of his time and aided the disciphne of his 
mind, while classical and elegant literature constitu- 
ted the amusement and delight of his leisure hours. 
His style, as a writer, was at once vigorous and rich — 
distinguished, like his mind, rather for solid thought 
than for brilliant imagery — preserving a happy me- 
dium between the inflated and the dull ; sufficiently 
ornamented, yet dignified, perspicuous and strong. 
His executive messages to the legislature of New- 
York, unlike the great mass of similar productions, 
have been read with interest and profit far beyond 
the limits of the state for which they w(;re designed, 
and have been, not merely usefid as matters of form 
or as temporary state-papers, but worthy of preserva- 
tion as valuable treasures of practical wisdom. 

The zeal M'ith which this great man employed the 
energies of his powerful mind, the we ght of his per- 
sonal popularity, and the influence of his official sta- 
tions for the relief of human misery, and the general 
advancement of human happiness, will be remember- 
ed with gratitude and admiration, for a succession of 
ages after the political questions and parties of the day 
shall have been buried beneath the fathomless ocean 
of oblivion. His disinterested efibrts in behalf of chari- 
table institutions, in favor of an amelioration of the 
criminal code, for the promotion of the usefid arts, and 
the encouragement of industry and talent, have not 
only produced, as their immediate effects, the im- 
provements so much needed and desired, but, by their 
influence as examples to future statesmen, and by their 



IT 

tendency to exeite a noble emulation in the glorious 
work of j)hilanihrop>%niay be a prolific source of un- 
numbered and incalcidable blessings throughout all 
fiuure time. As a friend of science, an able advocate 
for the cause of education, and a liberal patron of 
seminaries of learning and other literary institutions, 
Mr Clinton has, also, left behind him a lasting and 
brilliant fame. But it is probably as the enlightened 
projector, and resolute, intrepid, and unconquerable 
friend and promoter of the great work of internal im- 
provement, that he will be most extensively and per- 
manently known. Without Clinton, or some one 
possessing the spirit of Clinton, the great canals of 
New -York would not have been constructed. Com- 
mon minds could not realize the practicabihty, with 
the limited resources of a young nation like ours, of 
pouring the \\ aters of the lakes, through an artificial 
cliannel, upwards of three hundred miles in length, 
over mountains ?nd through valleys, into the grea| 
Atlantic. Men even of powerful intellects, enterpri- 
sing, patriotic and bold, regarded as chimerical and 
absurd the project of transporting by water to the city 
of NeW'York the productions of the w hole north- 
western country. But Clinton was not to be discoura- 
ged by the ridicule of his opponents or by the faint 
hopes and disheai'tening predictions of his friends. 
With a firmness of purpose ahwost unequalled — but 
which has been, not unaptly, compared to that of Co- 
lumbus, on the broad and untried ocean, his needle no 
longer true to the pole and his whole crew heartless 



18 

and despondent — he maintained with unwavering 
confidence the practicabihty, no less than the import- 
ance, of the object, ralHed the almost extinguished 
zeal of the few who were \villing to remain with him 
to the last, encountered with unshaken fortitude the 
shafts of opposition, and, at length, obtained a splendid 
and triumphant victory — a victory, which left behind 
it no blood-stained field, but which extensively diflTu- 
sed wealth, prosperity and happiness even among the 
vanquished, while it has erected a noble and peren- 
nial monument to the genius, and firmness, and un- 
daunted heroism of the illustrious conqueror. 

In the private relations of domestic fife, in his inter- 
course with his friends, in his manners towards his 
fellow-citizens in the transaction of business and the 
exercise of courtesy, Mr Clinton was all that could be 
reasonably expected or desired — the kind husband, 
the fond parent, the ardent friend, the polished gentle- 
man at once dignified and affable and easy of access, 
the liberal benefactor and the pious christian. His 
moral character was without a stain, and in religion 
he was tolerant, liberal and devout. 

It remains only to speak of him in a relation pecu- 
liarly dear and interesting to us. De Witt Clinton 
was a genuine mason, and, as such, his memory is en- 
titled to all the respect and veneration, which we, as 
a body, can bestow. He was initiated at an early age, 
and always maintained a warm and undeviating at- 
tachment to the order. He was never inclined to de- 
sert it, or to treat it with disrespect, on account of 



19 

temporary abuses or the occasional misconduct of 
some of its members. He was soon called to pre- 
side over Holland Lodge, of which he was a member, 
and delivered on the evening of his installation, in 
December, 1793, an address on the principles of our 
institution, abounding in all that good sense and that 
fine feeling, which so eminently characterized his sub- 
secjuent writings. He afterwards successively occu- 
pied all the highest offices in the several masonic bo- 
dies with which he was connected in his native state, 
and for many years held, to the universal satisfaction 
of the fraternity, the dignified and important stations 
of presiding officer in the two highest masonic bodies 
in the union, having each a jurisdiction co-extensive 
widi the federal republic — the General Grand Royal 
Arch Chapter of the United States, and the General 
Grand Encampment of Knights Templars and the 
appendant orders. 

Such is a faint sketch of the life, character, and ser- 
vices of this illustrious man. And now, my compa- 
nions, before I complete this feeble performance of the 
task you have assigned me, I am called upon to dis- 
charge another painful duty. Since the summons was 
issued, convening you as a body on the present occa- 
sion, intelligence has reached us, that one of the pro- 
minent individuals to whom it was addressed, had 
himself just departed to his eternal home. Yes, my 
companions, death has invaded our little circle, and 
Edward H. Stkele, who has so often united with us in 
our masonic labors.and constituted so important a link 



ill our chain of masonic sympathy and lo\e, is unable 
to partake with us in the duties of this melancholy day. 
I cannot now dwell, in detail, on the many excellent 
traits which adofried his character. We all knew 
the intelligence of his mind^j the polish of his man- 
nersi, the warmth of his affections^ find the virtues of 
his heart. He too is gone, and instead of coming here 
to day, as we had confidently hoped and expected, to 
join with us in a tribute of affectionate and cordial 
respect to the memory of the venerated Clinton, he has 
closely followed Clinton, through the outer courts of 
the tabernacle, to seek for an admission within the veil 
of the Grand Chapter above. It is worthy also of re- 
mark, and affords a striking and impressive memento of 
the frailty and uncertainty of everything human, that 
Clinton had himself left unperformed a similar task. 
The eulogy designed for the lamented Emmett is still 
unpronounced, and that tongue which was expected 
to have uttered it, is, by the dread fiat of omnipotence, 
silenced forever. That kindred spirit, which would so 
faithfully have told his worth and so justly appreciated 
his character, has taken its flight to the same mansions 
of glory. And now, sainted shades, as you look down 
from your blissful abodes upon the fleeting scenes of 
this transitory existence, how do you exult in the con- 
templation of the realities by which you are surround- 
ed, and unite in the chorus of gratitude and joy, that 
at length you have found something durable and cer- 
tain, upon which you may safely and confidently re- 
pose during the future progress of an interminable 
existence ! 



